Introduce yourself

[Carolann R]

Aloha Sophie! Welcome! Punapetah and I are familiar and Jamie - no, not a nurse - former Legal Secretary and worked in Quality Management for AmericaWest Airlines for a few years...my Mom lives with me and has a caretaker come in everyday and by and by I got familiar with HMC...sounds like you've got the right job for you! E Komo Mai Everyone!

Carrie

http://www.carrierojo.etsy.com
http://www.vintageandvelvet.com
http://www.myspace.com/carrie_rojo


If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. ~Dalai Lama

[Kapohocat]

Thank you all for the introductions from the most recent group. Welcome to you all.

In the past, people wrote intros (short and sweet) before they posted. As a small community - it was nice to get to know people. It wasn't a requirement, just someway to get to know who you are chatting with.

[hooligal]

oops, I thought I posted my bio long ago!

I'm 37, female computer nerd, gardener, quilter & metal artist. I like to make stuff. I have a fiendish love of bacon and great cheeses. I love camping, survival-ism and McGuyvery solutions. I've been described as a very laid back type-A. I love a good mid-day nap. I'm a Ducati (motorcycle) nut, but sold all but one of my bikes before I came to the Island. I'm a die-hard MotoGP race fan & would have Rossi's babies.

I'm a navy-brat & have moved around a lot. 37 moves so far in 8 states: WA, FL, UT, CA, ME, MD, MO, HI. I'm quiet, goofy, generous & always willing to laugh, especially at myself.

I have a BA in architecture, but I wound up as a computer programmer. I worked as a Silicon Valley computer geek for the last 14 years & got too worn down by the rat race. My free time was spend in the San Fransisco Burning Man Artist community, with June - September spent madly welding, grinding & fabricating my roommate's large scale art installations. Last year, my roommate came home from his Hawaii vacation raving about a place called 'Puna'. It sounded like paradise, so I researched like mad on the web. 3 weeks later I gave notice at work. The general feedback was : You're leaving a job you love? yes. You don't have work when you get there? nope. You've never even been to Hawaii, how do you know you'll like it? It's Hawaii, how bad can it be? You are insane! WELL DUH.

So, I quit my job & came to Puna to follow my bliss.  Here I am. I've been so happy and calm I don't even recognize myself. The only things I miss are my crazy friends, Target and my favorite cheese shop

As of today (nov 10, 2007) I'm back on the mainland loading my stuff into a container to send home and I'm missing Puna terribly. When the container arrives, I'm transforming it into a off-grid container house that doesn't look like a container When Pele heads my direction I can strap everything down & truck the ol' homestead out of her way. Should be a hoot & hopefully I won't drive Smelker insane.

I wanted to have a lot by now, but I'm waiting to see where the lava goes & if prices drop from all the sub-prime mortgage hoo-ha. I'm looking for a few AG acres where I can live off grid, grow my own food, raise some chickens. If I can swing it, I'll get a horse & ride to Pahoa instead of drive   I'm doing computer drafting - thanks Cat! I hope to get back into web sites and I'd love to do programming, cuz I miss it. I make quilts in my spare time, when I'm not snorkeling, fishing or scavenging fruit & avos on the side of the road. Metal art will resume as soon as my steel and tools arrive, along with 'learn and leap' installations of my solar, catchment & greywater systems on the container house.

I know I've got it good in Puna. I haven't regretted my move for one moment. Like everywhere else, there are cons, but man, I love the Aloha here and I love this Island.



Edited by - hooligal on 11/11/2007 11:25:56

Edited by - hooligal on 11/11/2007 11:30:04

[mella l]

Welcome and thank you to Katie A and David and horrah for Hooligal! Welcome aboard and have at it! It is so fun to have a bit of an idea of who is posting and I thought I'd repost my introduction that I pulled in a flaming war back a year and a half ago! Carrie and I got all our posts just welcoming the folks to the PW! LOL

mella l

[mella l]

Aloha. Named Pamela also, so I use my nick name Aka P. A. Mella. Born in San Francisco and raised thru ought the USA, San Francisco, Patuxent River Maryland, Tacoma Washington and lived on Kodiak Island in Alaska before it was a state. I’m a gypsy born and raised. Most but not all of my education was received in the Bay Area. I am older than Pam Lamont, and Pam Jonsey and younger than a few others!

I am on the third reincarnation of my life, and am so happy that this incarnation may one day bringing us to the BI. It’s said when you loose your parents, you loose your past, when you loose your spouse you loose your present and when you loose your children you loose your future. Life has a way of throwing tough curve balls and it is the great equalizer as one day we all pass on. Life also has a way of teaching us what is precious.

Gene and I met in Florence Oregon. Gene is a Portland native, but I won’t tell his story (although moss does grow on the north side of his nose, and he is very easy on my eyes). We met in July 98 and married on another small but quaint island in late 1999, Avalon, 26 miles across the sea, Santa Catalina, California. We had a wonderful courtship and now have a peaceful and quiet life with three kitties in northern California about 85 miles north east of Sacramento.

Until 2004 it never occurred to me that I could live in Hawaii if I truly wished it. I had visited in 84, 86, 90 and 2004. Another life altering event and Gene assured me that we could live anywhere we choose, as we do not live large and we have reasonable needs. We will be living in Eden Roc one day. We are hoping the builders get a little break in the frenzy before we attempt to build. Well it is that or a LARGE Tent! We’ll see. In the mean time we will be visiting, chatting, and looking forward to hearing about your adventures and sharing our own one day.

Looking forward to meeting each of you in due time. If you are in Eden Roc, you’ll recognize me, I’ll be the gray I mean blond woman terrorizing my neighbors riding on the purple beast, a 1999 sportster. Be alert, and very afraid!

Mahalo for this thread Punagirl such a grand idea. Mahalo for all who contribute their ideas, knowledge and humor and a sense of welcome, and how to avoid some of those bumps in the road. Life is a journey not a destination. Aloha Mella L

mella l 7/20/05

Edited on 11-07

Unfortunately our pets, Bengal cats, once listed as approved animals with the state, and then removed from the list (just as we were doing final vet health certificates), as prohibited and banned hybrids. Our relocation is now in limbo. Been working with the state since 6/06, our conditional permit request for two spayed and neutered older Bengal cats is in limbo for further study. The most numerous pedigreed cat in the USA is not allowed into Hawaii currently, TICA 2007 66,000 domestic Bengal cats.


mella l

[Carolann R]

Awwww, you guys!!! Hooligal is adorable and brilliant...Mella is my dear friend as is Cat...whom many, many of us already know so well. We're blessed for sure. Here's to the unforeseeable in Puna. )

Carrie

http://www.carrierojo.etsy.com
http://www.vintageandvelvet.com
http://www.myspace.com/carrie_rojo


If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. ~Dalai Lama

[PunaLover]

mella
I'm a 3rd generation San Franciscian and I'll list all the places I've lived another time. There's only 3-4 states I haven't been in, I too was a gypsy until the BI finally took hold and sunk my feet a foot and a half deep in Hamakua soil.
That was back when my dog had to do the 180 days in the pet joint.
Oregon, Eugene summer of 72', housetrucks.com

to be cont.

[Makuu home]

Thanks for the welcome, Carolann, and e koma mai to all who posted their intros. Hooligal, I've been reading about the container houses! I hope you can take time to post a bit about your progress. I guess I don't have to tell anyone here how excited I am right about now. January's right around the corner.

[PunaLover]

hooligal, there are 2 acres in HPP next to me that just went up for sale, the realtor said 60-65k ea but I can call the owner, she's in Key West.
The lots have a septic tank , a pavillion and a driveway, the good part is it's in the middle of an 800 year old flow with several old growth mango trees, middle of the park.

[hooligal]

Thanks punapetah, Carrie ) & makuu!

punapetah, I'll take a look at the lots. I'm kinda partial to kapoho, but if I do come up above "albezia alley" it'll probably be HPP.

makuu, I'm going to blog my container transformation, I'll send you the link to the blog when I start - right now it's pretty boring "bought a container today", "still packing". lol.

Carrie, you're a sweetie as always !